The History of the Four Kingdoms
by ProdigiousGirl
Summary: It all began with a coronation ceremony...When the Royals of the Hearts Kingdom visit the Kingdom of Clubs after Yao and Mei are crowned the Club Monarchs a spark between the two Queens sets off a chain of events that will put the safety of The Four Kingdoms at risk. Multiple Pairings. Cardverse. Some changes to Heta Cardverse positions - see inside.
1. Chapter 1

The History of the Four Kingdoms

AN: Hello! Pardon me if I come off rather straightforward but I'm not quite sure how to explain this. I know this "rant" will be long but it is important to read to understand my view on the cardverse and how this story came to be:

This story is based in the Hetalia card universe (cardverse). It is my understanding that it is a loose universe based on the concept of cardverse and Hima's drawings of an Hetalia cardverse. No plot or generic story was ever created by Hima to accompany his drawings (much like the 2P universe). I'm rather new to the cardverse though I've heard of it before. It did not interest me back then. However, back when I was looking for scanned images of season five promo pictures I found a drawing of America and England in the new art style in their cardverse clothing. It actually got me thinking about the cardverse and before I knew it this complex plot more or less drew itself in my head. Because the cardverse is not set in stone (only basic details are known such as the four kingdoms and the roles of the King, Queen, Jacks and Jokers) I opted to switch some characters around to places I saw fit for them. You'll notice that characters do shift around a lot in the story. Some stay stagnant in their positions while others rise and fall. I don't want to give too much away so I'll begin the story now!

Thanks for reading my terribly disorganized blurb.

**Current Pairings: Chinwan (China/Taiwan), Jawan (Japan/Taiwan)**

Note: The pairings list above will change as pairings are added or wane away. A question mark beside a pairing means it may become official in the story, it may be temporary or it may be in question/disappear.

)()()()()(

Yao Wang sat on his wooden chair leaning in towards the children that crowded around the seat in his cozy office. The sun was fading outside, bringing a bright orange light into the room past the dark red curtains. The sun was always a tint of orange in this region of the kingdom. Perhaps that was why the former King had declared it the official colour of the once independent region. It was now the 2nd quadrant of Yao Wang's vast empire that stretched coast to coast.

"That was a good story, Papa Yao!" One of the little Asian boys at his feet cheered. Yao had finished telling the tale of his journey across the ocean in a foreign land where he fought dragons and other mythical creatures.

"Did you really fight those things, Papa Yao?" A little girl with braided pigtails asked, her eyes sparkly, but afraid.

"I did," He placed a gentle hand on her head and patted her.

The children surrounding him were not his own. Yao Wang, now an old man in his eighties, did not have children. The youngsters crowding him were those of his young council members who advised him in a variety of matters pertaining to the kingdom; everything from finances to military protocol.

"Your Majesty," A smiling face popped in from behind the wooden door, "I think it's time to call it a night. You need your rest."

The children were upset. They begged Papa Yao to tell them one more story about the old days. "Please, please?" They cried.

"Hmmm," Yao had to think about it, "Alright." They cheered.

The King's assistant was not as pleased, "Sir…"

Yao waved a hand, restraining the young man, "Now Yong Soo…one more story won't hurt." He turned to the children with a smile, "Have I ever told you the story of the Four Kingdoms?"

Yong Soo had to interrupt again, "That's a very long story, I'm not sure you'll have time to tell it."

"Hush now Soo," Wang scolded him. He relented when he saw how nervous and disappointed the young Asian looked. He apologized, "I'm sorry Soo. Have you heard this story?"

"I have, Sir." Soo acknowledged, "And I'm not sure it's fit for young children."

Yao Wang just nodded like the old sage he was, "All children should know their history."

Examining the focused looks on the children he began his tale, "Once upon a time, long, long ago, there were four Kingdoms. Each Kingdom was represented by a symbol. The Kingdom of Spades was in the far west. They were known for their great military. The King of Spades was not the brightest but was powerful. His Queen, on the other hand was intelligent and had great control over the navy. The Kingdom of Hearts was their arch-enemy and was considered the most powerful of the Kingdoms. Their King was a tough but reserved man and the Queen was quiet and calculating. Separating these two warring kingdoms was the Kingdom of Diamonds, known for their wealth. The King of Diamonds, historically, had trouble with both Kingdoms surrounding it but also managed to pull together some sort of treaty with either side. Their king was self-absorbed and thought of himself as a philosopher. Not much is known of his Queen other than that she was an attractive aristocrat. The last kingdom was the Kingdom of Clubs. They were a neutral kingdom. The King was very wise and his Queen…" Yao sighed. He paused for a moment to reflect on the image of the Queen whom he'd wiped out of his mind so long ago. Her long, flowing black hair, the smell of plum blossoms that followed her as she floated from room to room in the great oriental castle. It felt like only yesterday…

"Papa Yao?" The braided girl pulled on his wavy tunic, "Are you alright?" She could see the sadness in his eyes.

"Yes," He smiled at her. Collecting himself he continued with his story, "Despite the difference in policies and attitude they managed to get along for the most part. They fought in bitter wars here and there but respected each other's right to rule. That is until the Queen of Hearts plotted to take the throne of the Kingdom of Clubs.

"Now children, you must remember that Kings and Queens acted as co-rulers. They could be either male or female and were not necessarily married to each other. Some signed contracts. This was the case for the Kingdom of Hearts. A burly, blond man named Ludwig Beilschmidt was the King of Hearts. He signed a contract with another young man, named Kiku Honda. They signed this contract because they were both deemed to be the strongest in the Kingdom. As I said before the Kingdom of Hearts was a powerful Kingdom and only the greatest leaders would do. The Kingdom of Hearts was next door to the Kingdom of Clubs who sat on the East Coast. They regularly conversed with each other. One day the King and Queen of Hearts visited the Kingdom of Clubs to congratulate it on its new royal leaders who were appointed by the sage council. The Queen of Hearts instantly fell in love with the Queen of Clubs. He wanted her for himself."

Yao stopped to scan his head for more information, "Did I remember to tell you how ruling worked?"

The children shook their heads no.

Yao sighed aggressively, disappointed in his fading memory. "What happens is each Kingdom has a way of appointing a King and Queen. For the Kingdom of Spades it is related to destiny. The Queen must always be of aristocratic routes. Normally the King is too, but the choice of a King can rely on the Queen's own visions. Essentially he or she can choose their King. For the Kingdom of Diamonds it's the other way around. The King must be of aristocratic background and he or she must choose the Queen. Unlike the Kingdom of Spades however, the council must agree to the King's choice. This is because the Queen is important. You see, a King cannot rule without a Queen…but a Queen can rule without a King."

"But why?" One of the little boys asked, "That doesn't seem fair."

"That's just the way it was," Yao nodded, "that was our agreed upon system. People rarely challenged the system back in those days."

He continued with his explanation of the system, "For the Kingdom of Hearts a contract was signed between the two strongest people in the Kingdom while in the Kingdom of Clubs the council chose both the King and the Queen."

Getting back to the original plot as to not become too sidetracked, Yao carried on with the tale, "The Queen of Hearts was more of a fool than a Queen…he believed if he killed the King of Clubs he could take the kingdom for himself. A fool," He repeated, shaking his head, "such a fool…"

)()()()()(

SEVERAL DECADES AGO

Ludwig Beilschmidt stepped out of his wooden carriage casually followed by his Jack, the right hand man and advisor to the King. His Jack, Felianco Vargas, a tanned brunet with shiny brown eyes was anything but intelligent. How he had become the Jack most couldn't understand, but those in the know knew of his family's past as the ancient monarchs of the Kingdom of Spades and Kingdom of Diamonds and how it would be an insult to their legendary history not to have a Vargas in a top authority position.

"Woooooow!" Feliciano, called Feli for short by all, squealed at the sight of the oriental castle in front of them. It was an amazing structure built of pillars with cedar wood, resting on a stone hill. It towered high into the sky each floor marked by a semi-pyramid like roof made of brownish-red tiles. A red _torii_ gate welcomed them at the top of the stone stairs into the garden marked with flowers and a giant fountain. Feli looked back and waved to Kiku Honda, the Queen of Hearts, "Hurry up, Kiku! You have to see this!"

The dark haired Asian waved back from the bottom of the stairs, "Yes, I am coming." He wasn't sure Feliciano had heard him. He was in no mood to raise his voice. It was, in his opinion, incredibly rude to do so in a foreign land lest he disturb someone. When he reached the top he took in a strong whiff of air. The scent of plum blossoms was strong. He found it soothing.

A guard was waiting to escort them to the main hall where they would be presented to the new King and Queen of the Clubs. The King of Diamonds had already paid his respects and the King and Queen of Spades had sent many gifts.

When they entered the great hall, which was truly worthy of the name, they walked along the red velvet carpet to the golden platform where the King and Queen sat on their golden throne. Each Kingdom had its own special throne. The Kingdom of Clubs had gold, the Kingdom of Diamonds was bronze and jewel encrusted, the Kingdom of Hearts had Silver while the Kingdom of Spades had Platinum.

"Welcome, my friends." The King stood up, "My name is Yao Wang. Welcome to my Kingdom."

)()()()()(

Yao instinctively kept the fact of him being King hidden. Right now was neither the time nor the place for these little ones to know how involved he was in the horrors that would soon take place in his story.

)()()()()(

"Yes," Ludwig bowed as it was customary to do so in another King's region, "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am King Ludwig Beilschmidt of the Kingdom of Hearts. I hope we can become great friends and allies."

Yao sat down, "I too hope a strong relationship can prosper between our Kingdoms. I hope the Clubs can be friends with all nations."

Ludwig turned to his company who also bowed out of respect for the new king, "This is Feliciano Vargas, my Jack and Kiku Honda, my Queen." He looked back to Yao, "As you know it is tradition in my Kingdom to sign a contract with…"

"Yes, yes," Yao waved. He knew all of this. He noticed the humbled but slightly irritated look on Ludwig's face, "My apologies. I did not mean to suggest your explanation was unimportant. You must understand that for the past few days I've seen envoys from all over and each one of them explained to me a thousand times over things I already had knowledge of. I have grown tired of hearing the same things over and over again."

"I see." Ludwig was still hurt but let his feelings pass for the sake of keeping peace.

"Oh!" Yao lifted his head from his hand, which was propped up by his arm on his chair. The position had made him look like he was bored which may have added to Ludwig's disappointment. His face suddenly lit up and he gestured to the woman next to him, "I almost forgot! This is my Queen. Her name is Xiao Mei! Isn't she beautiful? She will be a wonderful Queen I am sure." He nodded sagely, "I am confident in the council's decision." He couldn't help but smirk and take a friendly shot, "As I'm sure _you're_ well aware, King Ludwig, that is our tradition."

"I am," Ludwig nodded.

_Beautiful indeed_, was all Kiku could think in the depth of his mind. Keeping a straight face to hide his inner thoughts and feelings he examined the petit woman. Her round face, her long slender legs, the hot pink flower in her hair that brought out her brown eyes. She was stunning. Time slowed down as their eyes met. Staring into those dark pupils he felt like he had known her for a hundred years yet at distance. He wanted to reach out to her, to touch her. Had Feliciano not snapped him out of his hypnotic stare he might have stretched out his hand to her.

"Hey Kiku!" The peppy brunet said with a giant smile, "Let's go check out the herb garden!"

"Uh," Kiku felt time suddenly speed up again and it hurt his train of thought, "I am sorry, what was that Feliciano?" Only in the comfort of their own castle would he refer to the Jack by his shorter version.

"I said," Feliciano repeated, his smile never fading, "Let's look at the herb garden. King Yao said there was an herb garden planted in his honour. I want to see if any spices have bloomed yet!"

"Spices do not bloom," Kiku smiled at Feli the way a parent would smile at a youthful child, "they grow."

"Oh yeah!" Feli laughed, "I knew that!" He grabbed Kiku's hand dragging him away from the platform and towards the doors of the great hall, "Come on, let's go! Let's go!"

As he was pulled away by the energetic young Jack, Kiku turned his head back to catch another glimpse of the new Queen as she grew smaller with each step he took. He analyzed every piece of her, burning her image into his memory in case he never saw her again. He hoped to God (or whoever was out there) that he would see her again. He hoped it would be soon. His heart anticipated to see her come to life. To see her dancing across the hall, not sitting like a lifeless statue.

When he was finally out in the garden, Kiku could collect his thoughts and carefully go over his feelings. He shook his head while the Jack prodded around the garden looking for roots of various spices. He had been disappointed when nothing had shown signs of sprouting. Kiku reminded him that the garden was newly planted and buds wouldn't start appearing for a while. As Feliciano jumped around the garden, smelling flowers and talking to frogs and fish, Kiku brought up that image he'd saved of the Queen. He tried to animate her. Her voice, the way she walked, how she fidgeted with the flower in her hair, trying to position it just right. He sighed with depression. None of it was good enough. He had to see the real thing.

His attention was snatched by a shadow looming over him. It was King Ludwig. "Ah, Kiku," He said, sitting down next to black haired man, "King Yao has invited us to a gala to celebrate his coronation."

"When is this?" Kiku questioned nonchalantly.

"Tonight," Ludwig grunted combing his hand through his thick, gelled hair. He groaned, "Rumour has it the King of Diamonds will be there." He added a quiet mutter, "I can't stand that guy."

Kiku fell short of laughing, opting for a telling smile instead, "You two do not get along very well." Kiku could understand why. Ludwig and King Francis were very different people.

"_Ja_," Ludwig sighed aggressively, "He's too flashy and annoying." He pounded his fist into his hand, "I hate his laugh! Even the King of Spade's laugh is tolerable."

Kiku folded his own hands neatly in his lap. He disagreed with Ludwig but did not say so. For him, the King of Spades was more irritable but regardless he did his best.

A state dinner was held as the sun dipped down out of the sky, giving way to a black blanket with bright stars. All the foods served were Yao's favourites, specialties his family had become famous for. There were egg rolls, roasted duck, fried rice, beef noodle soup, cabbage and _mantou_ for dessert. _Longjing_ tea was served afterwards with dried fruits and small sweets.

As Ludwig had suspected the King of Diamonds was present. He brought with him his finest wine which was served with the main course. Ludwig rolled his eyes. _Of course Francis brought enough for everyone. He's fishing for compliments, as usual. _

Kiku finished his meal and quietly slipped into the dance hall where a symphony band played serene music. Everyone was dressed in their finest – ball gowns and suits. It was not difficult to tell those from the Diamond Kingdom apart from the Hearts and Clubs. The members of the Diamond Kingdom were mostly aristocrats with high fashion. Their dresses and suits were the most expensive and stunning on the floor. They glittered, calling out to anyone they could dazzle for attention. The Diamond Kingdom citizens also had a love of feathers. They were found on dresses, on hats and hair clips. If someone was wearing a feather it wasn't hard to guess where they called home.

Kiku's eyes scanned the room. He was on a mission. He wanted to find the Queen of Clubs. He looked at the dancers as they glided across the yellow marble floor; she was not there. He glanced over at the dessert section, three long tables, each with a pearl white, silk table cloth and mountains of silverware; she was not there either.

She was not near the band, she was not talking to foreign diplomats and she was not with King Yao. He had checked…double checked, in fact. Frowning he gave up and made his way outside onto the dancehall's semi-circle balcony which overlooked the luscious garden, famed in all kingdoms. There he found her. Or rather, she found him.

He had been standing there, observing the sakura trees, their soft pink peddles falling in the wind (a scene which made him feel at peace with all things) when she walked out behind him. Her traditional dress was long and red. A long white fabric, looking very much like an apron, sat on top with another red sheet on top of that made of lighter materials with a flower pattern cut out. White silk sheets poured out from the sleeves, cascading down to the ground like waterfalls. Golden trim was used to put the entire ensemble together, making it all the more beautiful. She wore a red and golden bandana around her head and her black hair was put in four hoops atop her head, where long red ornament strings hung, falling towards the ground behind her. Kiku was speechless. She looked like a ceramic doll one would take care of and display with pride.

Kiku tried to swallow the lump in his throat but couldn't force it down. When he realized it was the echo of his rapid heartbeat in his chest he resolved to calm himself. Just as he had managed to slow it down it sped up again. She spoke.

"You are Kiku Honda, correct?" She joined him at the railing, "The Queen of Hearts."

"Ah, y-yes." Was all he could stutter out in response. Her voice was soft but high. If roses and honey had a sound, it would certainly be like hers.

"I have never been to the Kingdom of Hearts." She said without looking at him. Her gaze was focused on the garden, "I have heard it is very large."

"It is." His eyes were squarely on her.

She changed the topic. She didn't have a strong interest in the Kingdom of Hearts and felt it wasn't worth discussing, "I saw a blue monarch butterfly in this garden once."

Kiku was surprised, "Those are quite rare." He joined her gaze across the grass, flowers and small trees, "When you see such rare things it means you have been blessed by the gods."

She looked at him and he looked at her. Their eyes instantly connected. "I do not feel blessed." She told him, her voice hastened sounding angry and upset. He apologized. He hadn't meant to insult her.

"It is not your fault," Her voice dropped, indicating she was truly sorry for her outburst. She swung her arms over the railing looking down at the grass beneath her.

Kiku was beginning to get the hint. As to not assume too much he asked the question, "Are you enjoying the palace?"

"I like the garden," She told him, "It is very beautiful…but even here I cannot find peace." She lifted herself up and looked at him once again, "I feel like I belong here…and yet I don't. There is something wrong about this place Kiku."

At once Kiku's mind clicked on Yao. Oh how he hoped it was Yao! But even so…there was not much that could be done about it. It was the council's will that they rule together. He shook his head. Again, he was presuming too much. He would be best to stay quiet and mind his own business.

Mei wasn't ready to let the subject die. She wanted to understand her own grief. "Maybe it's the feeling of being trapped." She suggested. The council's choice wasn't a matter of saying 'yes' or 'no', one was expected to agree to their decision for the sake of the kingdom, otherwise become an outcast. Some who had chosen not to be appointed were exiled completely.

"I'm afraid I do not know," Kiku said. He did not want to discuss this further less he spoke out of turn. Sometimes the Queen of Hearts could be too forward without realizing it.

"I am sorry," She smiled sympathetically; "I did not mean to burden you with my problems."

"I do not feel burdened." He smiled back, "I am glad to know you are comfortable speaking with me."

"Yes," She blushed. Even she was surprised, especially now that he had brought the fact to light. She turned on her heels and walked away, but stopped when Kiku called to her.

Although it was in bad taste he couldn't help himself. Deep in the pits of his stomach he wanted to be bold. Even so, he spoke softly, hoping to fall on deaf ears, "If you truly are feeling trapped…I will rescue you."

She turned and looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Would you?"

"Uh…" Kiku suddenly melted on this inside. Had he taken this too far? He had not expected her to even notice. He summed up the courage to open his mouth. _Of course I will rescue you! Your majesty, I know we just met, but you are a glorious treasure of which I want to protect and hold dear._ He wanted to open the Pandora box in his soul containing his most private thoughts…but was interrupted by a rather loud and overly happy King Yao.

"Your Majesty," Mei said, soft but dry, lifting her dress to bow. In that instant Kiku could see his suspicions confirmed. He watched them communicate, he watched their body language. It _is_ Yao! How still she was in his presence, how formal… He touched her and she froze, creating an unseen barrier around her heart. In that moment Kiku knew what he had to do. In that moment the clock of his destiny started. He would rescue Xiao Mei.

King Yao finally noticed Kiku and smiled at him with a wave, "Kiku, is it, right? Hello! I hope you are enjoying yourself. My party is quite grand, is it not?"

Kiku nodded polite, "It is Your Highness, thank you for the invitation." He lifted his head, "I do apologize, but I'm afraid I must retire for the night." He stood tall, like a soldier at attention and left the balcony back into the dance hall where he slipped out of the celebration and into the dark halls, his self-made duty still on his mind.

The Queen of Hearts turned the corner of the long hall into another one. He took a few paces before he stopped and spoke firmly, "King Ludwig, I know you are following me."

The strong blond walked out from his hiding place around the corner. He stood unaffected. It was no surprise to him that sooner or later Kiku would sense his presence. The Queen was very gifted in that. "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, Kiku." He started, "But I did notice you left in a hurry. Is something wrong?"

Kiku turned around. Normally he would not hesitate to tell Ludwig how he felt. He had great respect for the man who had defeated him on the road to becoming King of Hearts. It had been a long, drawn out battle for the throne, having lasted nearly three days. Kiku believed he had Ludwig cornered, having outsmarted him, but Ludwig not only had great strength, but also determination on his side. None of Kiku's stealthy moves could deter the broad man. In the end, Kiku lost. His recovery took almost a week. When he was fit to be crowned as Queen, the title given to the second strongest citizen of the Heart Kingdom, he was surprised to find that Ludwig had courteously waited to be crowned alongside him. Ludwig had argued that it was only fit that they be ceremoniously appointed together. It was another move by Ludwig that had earned Kiku's eternal respect.

"I am fine. Think I may have eaten too much," Kiku smiled, trying to shrug off any body language that might give him away.

The King could not easily be fooled. "Kiku," He started with an understanding voice, "We have ruled as coregents for several years now. It is not always easy for me to tell what you're thinking, but I do know when something isn't quite right. I need you to be honest with me. Are you really not feeling well?"

Kiku frowned. He knew that if he told Ludwig he was not feeling well the King would believe him with no further questions. They had a relationship of trust. However, Kiku realized that if he was going to carry this plan out he would need his King's aid. The only problem was the disappointment of being told no. King Ludwig could flat out refuse to assist him and shut the entire mission down. He would have to convince Ludwig that this was his destiny.

"Yes," The Queen nodded, "I am not feeling very good at all."

"I see," Ludwig said. He turned on his heels to leave, "Well then, have a good ni-"

"I am not feeling well because I am troubled."

Ludwig turned back around, "What do you mean? What is troubling you?"

Kiku hesitated, trying to find the right words. How could he explain all of this to Ludwig? He decided to start with the theme, "I believe I may have found my destiny."

Ludwig was not a believer in fate or any such nonsense. For him, destiny was a childish dream dreamt by those from the Spades Kingdom. However, he knew honour and fate was important to Kiku. He continued with reserve, "I see. And what do you believe that to be?"

"To save someone."

"The Queen of Clubs?" Ludwig was good at deducing things. Besides, his Queen had been abnormally distant since he'd entered the hall of Clubs. While Kiku could be quiet and keep to himself, he had grown comfortable with Ludwig and Feli…enough to relax. However, he had been acting as if he was hiding something. Ludwig was grateful that it was finally coming out. He always worried about the young man when he went silent.

Kiku bowed his head as if the revelation had shamed him. Carefully analyzing what he was doing he thought himself foolish. He looked up and smiled, prepared to drop the whole thing. There was no way Ludwig would risk the safety of the Heart's kingdom, not now.

"Why do you believe this to be your destiny? What exactly does she need saving from?" Kiku gaped. He wasn't expecting Ludwig to have further interest. He felt a sudden fire in his belly, as if Ludwig's curiosity was a sign that he was on the right track. That this is what he was meant to do.

"I believe the council may have been wrong." Kiku told him.

"The Club's Council?"

"Yes," Kiku continued. "Perhaps this mistake was meant to start a change. I believe Queen Mei is the rightful heir, but I am not sure about King Yao. There is no spark between the King and Queen. There must always be some understanding between two rulers. Some type of comfortable content. Mei does not have this with Yao. She feels he is out of place here."

"And what do you intend to do?" Ludwig was getting the feeling that Kiku had a plan in mind. A terribly dangerous plan that could jeopardize the peace in the four kingdoms. He had always known Kiku had a dark side that longed for superior control no matter how hard he tried to humble himself.

Kiku looked Ludwig straight in the eye. Any fear he had carried before had sunk to the pits of his stomach. Without flinching, without hesitation he said, "I believe it is my destiny to rescue Queen Mei from her despair and become King of Clubs." The fire in his eyes made it clear his path had been set. Ludwig felt a cold shudder down his spine. He now had a choice to make.

* * *

My apologies for the ending…it's a bit forced and weak. ;-;

I hope to have a chapter up every month. I may post chapter two and three sooner just to keep people's interest but after that I'm going to be conservative. While having additional chapters written before posting the first is great, the last time I did so I found myself updating once a week...then went on a serious writing hiatus. Before I knew it BOOM I'd caught up to myself and began missing deadlines.

Also, sorry for all the information thrown at you in the first one third of the story. I kind of had too I guess since I have my own twist on the cardverse.

Lastly, please don't tell me I have people in the wrong position. As I said at the beginning characters have been moved around. I'm well aware that in Hima's cardverse Russia is the King of Clubs and not Yao.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A/N: Sorry if the last chapter was terrible confusing. Like I said, there was a lot of information to throw out there. You'll find as we go along things will become much smoother.

To help those who might be confused...

CLUBS  
Yao/China - King  
Mei/Taiwan - Queen  
Wang Jia Long/Hong Kong - Jack

HEARTS  
Ludwig/Germany - King  
Kiku/Japan - Queen  
Feliciano/N. Italy - Jack

DIAMONDS  
Francis/France - King  
TBA - Queen/Jack

SPADES  
TBA - King/Queen/Jack

Current Pairings: Jawan, GerIta?

)()()()()(

King Ludwig sat at a short dining table in his private apartment at the castle. Next to him at the head of the table was his Jack, Feliciano Vargas. Ludwig was terribly uncomfortable and fought the urge to fidget with his hands in his lap. He looked at Feliciano, "What do you think?"

The smaller, lanky brunet looked at the table. He was struggling with what to say. Ludwig had given him the details of the destiny Kiku thought was his. He told Feliciano how Kiku planned to overthrow Yao's rule in the Kingdom of Clubs and take both the throne and Queen Mei for himself. Feliciano was at a loss.

"Well," the young man finally spoke up timidly. There was great hesitance in his voice. He wanted to help Kiku. He considered the Queen to be his best friend. He thought Kiku was very wise and kind and the two often drew artwork together – a talent they shared in common. On the other hand, Feli hated war and greed. War had destroyed his family's commanding rule of the Spades Kingdom and greed had caused the people to drive them out of the Kingdom of Diamonds. It was his greatest fear that he and his brother would be cast out of the Heart's Kingdom next. If they were to fight with the Kingdom of Clubs and lose there's no way he'd be accepted there. Feliciano would have nowhere to go. The only place would be the land beyond the seas. The thought of living in the unknown scared him. Stories of barbarians and monsters surrounded the land the four kingdoms called 'the abyss'.

Feliciano reached out and grabbed Ludwig's hand. As long as he was with Ludwig he was confident everything would work out. "I'll do whatever you want to do, Luddy." Feliciano liked to make cute pet names for everyone and Luddy was King Ludwig's. He'd tried to make one for Kiku…but he thought it was already short and cute enough as it was.

Ludwig frowned but appreciated Feliciano's support. He squeezed Feli's hand, "You'll really follow me no matter what I choose to do?"

"Of course," The peppy Jack smiled at him, "If you want to tell Kiku no then I'll be by your side to help explain why and if you decide you will, then I'll be there too." He couldn't help but brighten his smile, "And I'll bring a white flag in case you change your mind along the way!"

Ludwig sighed. He should have known Feliciano would push towards the side of avoiding war. However, it was comforting to know that he had the Jack's support regardless. He now had to decide for himself what he would do…the window of opportunity was quickly closing. Would he join Kiku in war against the Clubs or could he talk his Queen out of it, laying to rest his idea of destiny?

He released himself from Feliciano's grip and stood up. There was something important he had to do first; to really understand if war was the right direction. He would need to talk to Yao.

Leaving Feliciano in the dimly lit room he entered the bright hallway, past his guards and out of the apartment complex into the back gardens. There were only two guest houses outside of the castle and Feliciano had begged for one because of the garden view. The other one belonged to the other king, Francis, King of Diamonds, who wanted to ensure his privacy. Despite being married to the Queen of Diamonds he still enjoyed several mistresses on the side. Ludwig shuddered at the indecency. Though he wasn't married he would still feel obliged to review any love interests with Kiku (and possibly Feliciano) for the sake compatibility on account of all parties.

King Ludwig followed the red brick path through wired arches covered in leaves, flowers and vines. In the main garden he found Yao, who was watering his plants. The King looked tranquil with his long black hair braided behind him. His purple robe was endless, his hands barely visible inside the wide-rimmed sleeves. He was in a world of his own, humming as he sprinkled water onto the little flowers glittering beneath him. He looked cheerful, like a man who was grateful for all that he had been given. The scene disappointed Ludwig. Watching Yao so calm and mature made him already feel like a criminal for even thinking about war.

As Yao tilted the watering can back up he noticed a figure under the arch that marked the beginning of the main garden. He smiled and nodded, "Ni hao, King Ludwig." Yao enjoyed using his native tongue. It made him feel a strong connection with his ancestors. He waved the neighbouring king over to stand with him.

Ludwig accepted the invite and joined the newly crowned King Yao in the garden. "I see you're hard at work here," Ludwig said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you." He truly did feel bad for interrupting. Ludwig admired kings who could do things for themselves. He himself had a habit of washing and ironing his own laundry despite the protests of his staff.

"No, no," Yao shook his head. He enjoyed having company. "It's quite alright." He gestured to the bench under the tree at the centre of the garden for the two royals to sit down. When they were placed comfortably Yao asked, "What brings you to see me today?"

"I…just wanted to talk." Yao was surprised at Ludwig's answer. He had expected the typical 'I was out browsing' response. He furrowed his eyes, wondering what Ludwig needed to say, "About what exactly?"

Ludwig wasn't sure how to start. How could he put this in a way that didn't make him look ridiculous? Taking a deep breath he started straightforward, "Do you believe in destiny, King Yao?"

Yao was taken aback by the question. Why was Ludwig curious to know about destiny? Perhaps he was second guessing his own leadership of the Hearts Kingdom. Yao had heard many good things about Ludwig's push for better technology and innovations to bring the Kingdom of Hearts up to speed with the technology of the Spades Kingdom. He nodded approvingly, "Destiny is a very powerful thing. Our belief in it drives us to succeed. A man has no focus if he does not believe he is destined for something no matter how big or small that destiny may be."

"And what if that destiny may hurt others?" Ludwig continued to ask like a curious child.

"What kind of hurt?" The other asked.

"Physical." The King of Hearts replied hastily.

Yao had to think about that one. He did not favour violence but understood that sometimes it was necessary. He suddenly began wondering why Ludwig was even asking such questions in the first place. Was he being tested or was there a hidden message in this? Surely this could not be about Ludwig second guessing his own leadership. He had to be honest, "Well, powerful convictions of destiny often translate to powerful legends. We tend to admire these legendary figures. Wars and violence are often factors of these legends. Not always though. There are other ways…better ways."

"What if there wasn't?" Ludwig knew there would be no other way around this situation. Kiku could not simply walk up to Yao and ask for his throne and Queen. He would have to take it by force. He would have to prove to the council that leading this kingdom was his destiny, not Yao's, and that the council had gotten it wrong.

Yao frowned. He could see the gloom in Ludwig's eyes. What trial was he being put through to cause him this much grief? To the King of Clubs it was becoming more and more obvious that Ludwig was standing at a fork in his road. He could go one way or the other…but whichever decision he made, he could not turn back. Yao had to think about his answer carefully. "Destiny shapes the person that you are and the person that you will be. If it is in the person's will to be violent to gain their means…to reach their goal, their destiny, then that is what they will do."

"But is it wrong?" Ludwig was still not satisfied. He felt like Yao was talking to him in riddles, "Please be straightforward with your answer."

"Then my answer is," Yao stared at him calmly, "I don't know. One can only be sure after the fact. You must risk it all to find out."

Ludwig stood up and apologized for having wasted Yao's time. Yao waved it off, still feeling like the King had a reason for asking. He did not know who King Ludwig planned on hurting and how but he hoped the King of Hearts made the right decisions, regardless of what that decision was.

Heading back towards the apartment complex Ludwig came upon a disturbing scene. King Francis of the Diamonds Kingdom was running around partially nude, chasing a few of his mistresses who were also loosely dressed. They were laughing, throwing flowers at each other. Ludwig shuddered. How appalling and grotesque! _They should be disgusted with themselves!_ And to be doing all this in Yao's home? It was shameful.

Wanting to get as far away as possible from the wickedness before him he quickly turned and left for a more private area in the vast greenery behind the castle. Taking a stone trail that led back down to street level Ludwig found himself in a dense but light forest. It was the old hunting grounds of the last King of Clubs. Some of the paths were now grown over but clear enough for Ludwig to understand it was a trail. He followed it for several meters until two figures caught his attention. He made a quick dash behind a thick tree and peered around the edge to see who was there. Kiku! And Mei?

Mei was sitting on a thin, bent over tree stump while Kiku stood in front of her. They appeared to be conversing happily, a smile on both of their faces. Ludwig felt his heart drop through his ribcage as he watched Mei lean over Kiku to give him a shy kiss. The Queen of Hearts eagerly accepted it. Ludwig turned back around, his back pressed to the tree. _Why now? Why her!?_ Why did they have to look so happy together? Ludwig sighed. Kiku had great instincts and was rarely wrong. Perhaps he was right about this too. Dragging his feet he made his way back to the stone wall, up the stairs, and to his apartment.

Feliciano had been sitting by himself in the gathering room quietly for nearly an hour. He busied himself with an art request. Some pretty young thing from the Hearts castle had asked him to sketch a picture of the Kingdom of Club's castle. Feliciano just couldn't say no to a pretty face. Maybe that pretty girl would marry him someday…oh, but then Luddy would be lonely! He couldn't allow his best friend to be lonely.

When Ludwig returned, slamming the door open, Feliciano nearly spilt his box of pencils onto the table. Startled he jumped up waving his arms, "I'm sorry! I'm working! I swear!" Seeing that it was just Ludwig he calmed himself. "Oh sorry Luddy, I'm just drawing for my friend back at the Hearts castle."

"I've made my decision." Ludwig said without regard to anything Feliciano had told him, "Go get Kiku. We need to return home."

"So…?" Feliciano was afraid to say it.

"We're going to war."

)()()()()(

The march back to the Kingdom of Clubs for war took place three weeks later. Kiku had spent the whole time thanking Ludwig for his assistance and promising that he would not regret it. Ludwig had still had mixed feelings the weeks building up to the march but set them aside. There was no room for second guessing on the battlefield.

They were camped a few hours walk away from the capital of the Kingdom of Clubs where they made their final preparations. The battle for the throne of the Kingdom would begin tomorrow. Secret messengers made their way back and forth between Kiku and Mei who kept them informed about the status of the castle. If Yao or any council members had caught on to the plan she would have sent someone to tell them.

As it turned out Yao had figured out that the Hearts intended to attack the Clubs. Mei had managed to keep her role in the conflict secret but being an insider gave the Hearts a strong advantage against Yao's army. Kiku and Ludwig knew all their moves, their battle strategy, the range and strength of their weapons… There was nothing Yao could hide from them.

The morning of the battle, Ludwig rose early. He watched the sunrise just outside his tent. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. There would be a lot of blood spilt today. And for what? A girl. When he saw Kiku approach him, looking glorious in his armour he couldn't help the small smile that crept across his face. No, this was for more than just a girl. This was about supporting a friend. This was about building a vast empire that would be loyal to the Hearts.

"Good morning, Ludwig," Kiku greeted his friend and King politely. If all went well by the end of the night they would both be kings. They would truly be equals.

Ludwig nodded wishing him the same. He suggested after a moment of silence that the two get something to eat. They'd need to be full and nourished if they wanted to survive the battle. Ludwig commanded a powerful army that gained its reputation through healthy eating and training. They were by far the most disciplined army of the four kingdoms.

They ate a large breakfast consisting of meats and fruits and bread. Beer was served to wash it down, though Kiku greatly preferred a glass of water. After they finished their meal they headed to the commander's tent to quickly go over the battle plan.

Ludwig stood at the table analyzing the map in front of him. Steel shaped into toy soldier figures were dotted along Club's capital city marking the areas the Hearts Kingdom would focus their attack. Ludwig picked three vital areas to attack. A decoy team would be sent to the front gate to capture the attention of Yao's army while a second team snuck up the back and a third team broke through a wooden gate on the left side of the castle where the castle's food stock was located.

The King grunted checking his pocket watch, pulling it out of his sleeve. Where was Feliciano? The Jack should have been up by now. A few minutes ago he'd sent a soldier to look for the petit brunet and was awaiting his return. When he finally did come back with the Jack behind him he'd discovered that Feliciano had been wooing some local girls from the nearby village.

"Can you really be that stupid!?" Ludwig resisted the urge to whack Feliciano in the head. "We're preparing for war and you're flirting with the enemy!"

Feliciano frowned. He defended himself, "They're not the enemy Luddy, they're just young beautiful girls."

Ludwig sighed aggressively, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had to remember this was spaced out, goofy, easy-going, ignorant, kind of dumb Feliciano he was talking to. The kid was a sweetheart but he wasn't very bright. Ludwig cooled himself, "Alright, alright. You're here now and that's what matters." He pointed to his map, going over the plan in detail so that Kiku, who would be leading the section of the army climbing up the back of the castle, and the other commanding officers were aware of their positions.

After everyone had their objective and plan memorized Ludwig rolled up the map for the final time today and placed it away in a bag for safe keeping. It would only resurface if they had to retreat to make a secondary plan. However, that was something none of them were expecting to happen.

They marched with little resistance to the capital. A few bands of outpost soldiers had tried to jump them but they were small in numbers and easily defeated. Standing outside the capital, Ludwig signalled the split. His top lieutenant would go with the left flank and Kiku would lead the right around to the backside of the castle. The centre flank would continue forward to create their diversion, drawing the attention of Yao's army. Ludwig's plan was a bit of a risk as it called for the centre flank to have the majority of his army men. He wanted it to appear as though this were the main attack.

The success of their mission not only depended on their plan but also on Mei's role. It was her job to both convince Yao that Ludwig's army would focus itself at the front gates by pretending to have intercepted a spy and to open up space for the left and right flanks to enter the castle. Once the left and right flanks entered the castle they could surround Yao's army, open the main gate and take the castle altogether.

)()()()()(

Yao sat on the porch off of his private office. The breeze that morning was warm and calm, making his morning tea more enjoyable than usual. He had spent the early hours conversing with his council about the kingdom's economic situation and passed a motion to put forward a free trading agreement with the Kingdom of Spades. As it turned out the Queen of Spades was a big fan of the natural spices and herbs that came from the Kingdom of Clubs. He also enjoyed their cuisine. Yao nodded. _He must be a truly intelligent person to acknowledge the superiority of our food. _

The clouds moved slowly across the sky, giving Yao time to personify their shapes. A horse over there, a hybrid between a cat and a fish, oh…and a dragon! Yes, the last one was surely a dragon! A rustling from the garden caught his attention. In the far corner were a small collection of little pine trees he'd been given by the Kingdom of Spades as a gift. Nestled in between them was a resting crane.

"Ah," Yao smiled, beaming softly with delight, "A crane in the pine trees. I am truly fortunate." Yao was a superstitious man who saw symbols in all things. According to his ancestors a crane in the pines meant determination, wealth and power. Yao was not exactly sure how this applied to him, but he was sure the kingdom would soon see wealth and power. Yao could not imagine this to be a bad omen of things to come.

As the noon hour approached he planned to eat a hearty meal before tending to his garden – which had quickly become his favourite hobby over the past few weeks since becoming king of the land. It was too bad Mei had no interest in such things. She spent almost all of her time staring out the window, as if she was longing for something.

"Master Yao!" A young man hurled himself onto the porch from the office. It was his young apprentice.

"Wang Jia Long," Yao looked surprised to see his assistant. The young man looked terrified. What could possibly be wrong? He inquired.

"Master! There is an army out front! The Kingdom of Hearts has come to challenge you!"

Yao blinked. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. King Ludwig…? He sat quietly, completely dazed by the news. Was this what was troubling King Ludwig all those weeks ago? But what grudge did Ludwig hold against him and the Clubs kingdom? He would have to confront Ludwig to find out. Looking at his young student he said, "Make sure Queen Mei is protected."

Wang Long frowned, looking concerned. Though he was confident his master would sort things out he still couldn't help but worry. Having studied abroad in the Spades Kingdom, where his nickname "Leon" came from, he'd amassed a collection of associates in the kingdom farthest west. He resolved that he'd stop by the secretary's office and have an emergency signal sent to the castle of Spades. Watching Yao exit through the office into the hall he waited a moment before leaving himself. He would send his message first then find the Queen.

Yao marched with hast to the front oasis of the castle. From there he climbed the steps to the lookout post that oversaw the city. There piled around the base of the stone hill the castle sat perched upon was the Heart's army led by King Ludwig himself.

"Aiyaa," Yao was taken off balance by the size of the military mob. They stretched several blocks back. The citizens stayed as far away as they could, watching and whispering. The King of Clubs took a deep breath and spoke loudly, "King Ludwig! What is the meaning of all this? Why have you brought your army to my door?"

"King Yao, I regret to inform you that as of this point you will surrender your crown to the Kingdom of Hearts." Ludwig told him in a booming voice, "Your reign over the Kingdom of Clubs has ended."

"Blasphemy!" Yao shouted back, "I was chosen by the Clubs Counsel. You do not have the right to dethrone me! This is an act of war; do not treat it as though there is some kind of justification for it!"

Yao was terribly disappointed. What right or reason did Ludwig have to invade his home and threaten his position? He was under the impression that the two had gotten along well and would be friends. Yao shook his head. How strange these foreigners were. They act nice and friendly but really, they are poisonous snakes. Greed was the only thing Yao could think of that might explain Ludwig's attack…but why attack the Clubs? Weren't King Ludwig and the Hearts at odds with King Francis and the Diamonds? Why wouldn't he attack them instead? Perhaps Ludwig believed the Clubs kingdom would be weaker because they were transitioning to a new king. Well, Yao would be sure to prove to him that this wasn't the case…the Clubs Kingdom was as strong as ever.

"Prepare your army, King Yao," Ludwig warned, "I will not hold back."

While Yao grimaced and made the demand for troops to the front, Wang was standing in the secretary's office sending a telegraph personally addressed to the Queen's office in the Spades Kingdom. He had worked as an apprentice to him before coming home and was confident that he had enough ties to reach the Queen himself. Surely he would listen and respond back. Wang just hoped the message wouldn't be too late. When the secretary, who was in a panic, confirmed the message had been sent, Wang left the office instructing the secretary to send word to him when a response came through the line. Until then he had a duty to protect the Queen of Clubs.

The sounds of swords clashing and harquebuses exploding echoed through the hallway as Wang ran to the Queen's parlour where her servants were said to have ushered her when the news spread of the invasion. When he reached her door he bent over and gasped for air. He'd run a long way very fast and was suffering some fatigue. A final, large breath was drawn as he pushed himself back up and knocked furiously on the door, "Your majesty! It is Wang Long! My master has informed me to come to you at once and protect you!"

Long took a step back as the door was opened by a servant. He was ushered inside where he found the Queen at her make-up desk looking poised and calm. She was in the process of painting her lips with a dark red lipstick. Wang found it odd that she would take the time to dress up in her best outfit, whites and pale blues, with a golden hair piece sticking out of her head like the sun. Once she was finished she stood up and smiled at him, "Wang, have you come here to escort me?"

He was surprised at her choice of words but the King's assistance nodded, "Yes ma'am. We need to hurry and get you to safety."

"Yes," She smiled at him with sweet serenity, "We do."

)()()()(

While the battled raged on at the front of the castle, Kiku snuck his way through the back. The two guards on duty were an easy kill. With the focus of the assault set on the other side of the castle he slid into the back garden of the compound with little trouble. He was amazed at how small Yao's forces were compared to the Heart's kingdom. Mei had informed him that Yao had discovered their plan to invade. If this was true than why were Yao's forces scrambling? Why were they so weak?

As he pushed forward to meet with the other band of soldier's who surely must have succeeded in breaking into the side of the castle, he noticed a small team of personnel dashing across the inner court. Kiku couldn't believe his eyes. Was he being deceived? Mei! Without much thought he called to her, "Queen Mei! Why are you outside?" He was more worried than angry. How futile everything would be if his precious lover died in the fight. He ran to her.

Wang Long was terribly confused. Why did the Queen of Hearts look so concerned regarding the safety of the Club's Queen? Was it simply because they shared a similar position as Queen of their respective kingdoms or did they create some kind of bond that would cause Kiku to spare his master's Queen? He didn't know. The only thing he could be sure of was that these two kingdoms were now at war and he had to take precautions and protect the Queen. Valiantly he stood between them, blocking Kiku's path.

The Queen of Hearts was not amused. He stopped, having been stalled on his way to Mei. Glaring the daredevil down, Kiku drew his sword and pointed it firmly at Long. "Who are you?"

Wang refused to be intimidated. It was his sworn duty to protect the King and meet all his demands. If it was King Yao's wishes to protect Queen Mei that is what he would do unflinching. With a strong voice he answered, "I am Wang Jia Long, second hand to the King."

Kiku raised an eye, "You're his Jack?"

Long nodded, "You are correct."

"Then why are not fighting by his side?" Kiku asked, still standing defensively.

"He requested that I protect the Queen." Long responded, remaining stiff with an aggressive face. He tried to make himself as tall and menacing as possible, like a bear towering over its attacker.

Kiku relaxed his stance. His smirk was sinister and cold. Kiku could tell by the tightening of his muscles that Long was lightly daunted by this change in stance. "Protected from what?"

"From you," Long shouted out at him, fists clenched tightly, "I would gladly fight and die to protect Her Majesty!"

"You won't have to fight," Kiku told him, keeping his frightening composure, "But you will have to die."

Long was instantaneously surprised, both by Kiku's words and the sharp object that pierced his back. Slowly churning around he watched Mei let go of the danger she had plunged into his backside. The other attendants were equally horrified. "Q-Queen Mei?" Long could feel the blood gush into his body, rushing towards his liver and his throat, he could feel it dripping along the exterior of his body, soaking his clothing and coating his legs. How could she have done this to him? How could she have done this to King Yao?

Long may have been wounded, but he was far from dead. Kiku knew he'd instinctively run to warn Yao – not that it would do the King of Clubs much good now. The King could carry on his battle without the Queen, but to lose both his partner and his Jack…that would, at the very least, carry psychological trauma that might cause the King to make critical mistakes.

Just as Kiku expected Long picked up his feet and ran. With a nod of his head Kiku signalled to his men to kill the remaining attendants. They were no longer needed. After that he'd have them surround and protect Mei while he joined Ludwig and the third party in the battle.

Since Long was injured he was unable to run at a quickened pace so Kiku trailed along behind casually, his sword at his side. The Jack of Clubs would lead him right where he needed to go – to Yao. Once he found the king he would finish him off and collect the kingdom.

The closer they got, the louder the screaming was. There were armoured soldiers clashing with weapons –some without, and cold, dead bodies chopped up on the floor, their blood staining the ground they lie upon. There were those whose lives were draining from them, every second left they spent crying out in agony. Those who were less cowardice than the others reached out for a weapon and finished themselves off as to not suffer for a lengthy period of time. If a dying man was lucky, his friend would find him and either drag him off to the side in hopes that he would live long enough to see a medic, or relieve him with a mercy killing. Two horses managed to break the ropes that held them and race across the inner court where the battle had pushed to and crushed a man in their path. Not once did Kiku flinch upon seeing the gruesome scene. The moment he'd chosen to follow this path he placed his humanity in a box, hidden deep within his heart.

Kiku was sure not to lose sight of Wang Long as the Jack staggered across the extended battlefield looking for his master. Both he and Kiku found the long haired king at the same time, in part due to Long's calling.

"Master!" Wang Long shouted as loud as he could, even as the blood dripped out of his mouth. "It is Mei!"

Yao heard him after he'd shouted it several times. "Mei?" The King of Clubs called back, "What about Mei? Is she safe? Have they harmed her?"

"No, she's behind this master! She's a co-conspirator! She's with the Hearts!" Long yelled to the King.

Yao could hardly believe what he was hearing. Mei? She's their enemy too? It wasn't possible! His confusion caused him pain, but…

Yao brought his dropped head up to view Wang Long's face. If this was true than Long would certain have a serious look. He barely had time to witness the severity of Long's face before it was painted with the most horrifying expression. Yao's eyes widened in horror, his Jack had been cruelly murdered. Kiku, the Queen of the Hearts, had walked up, swift and quiet as night, and jammed his sword down the Jack's spine, rendering him dead instantly. The change on Kiku's face was when he clenched the muscles of his body while trying to pull the sword out.

Yao tilted, his world was spinning. His Jack had been murdered so swiftly before him, he barely had time to reflect or collect his thoughts and feelings. He felt like he was trapped in slow motion as everything around blurred. All at once his emotion hit him like a punch in the face. The pain was almost unbearable, "JIA LONG!" He called out, his voice raspy and winded.

Into the inner court came Queen Mei and her entourage of Heart's protectors. The scene confirmed Long's intelligence report as Mei did not look disturbed or in danger. She actually had the nerve to wear a smile! It was a double stab to the heart for Yao. As if the death of his Jack wasn't enough he now had to watch the calm smugness on his traitorous Queen's face.

Yao was beyond angry, "MEI! HOW COULD YOU!?" He screamed loudly so that all his men could hear. He wanted each and everyone one of them, each and every citizen outside the wall to know the Queen had betrayed them. "YOU KILLED HIM!" His eyes trailed back to the lifeless body of Wang Long.

Turning to fly down the stairs to his slain friend, Yao was held back by a strong arm that clutched his wrist. The King turned to hiss an insult at the man who turned out to be the General, but was told that a withdrawal was necessary.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty, but we cannot win!" The General explain in his deep voice, "We must retreat!"

"But Jia Long!" Yao fought the tears creeping into his eyes. He just couldn't bear to leave his friend, pupil and trusted Jack.

The General frowned, "I am truly sorry, but we must flee immediate. Your life is the most important thing right now."

Yao grabbed the great man back. "Promise me," He said with urgency and determination in his voice, "that you will find Long's body after and give him a proper burial. And honourable one; promise me that!"

The General nodded, "Of course Your Majesty."

With a shake in his step Yao fled to the farthest side of the wall where his soldiers bunched up, ready to protect him as he made his escape. Kiku ran up the stairs of the stone wall to chase him but Ludwig managed to scale the place first, climbing over with a rustic wooden ladder. He reached out to Kiku to hold him back.

The Queen of Hearts pushed away, looking frustrated, "Do not stop me!"

Ludwig frowned, "Kiku, you've won. He's retreating and his forces have been depleted. There is no point in continuing. We'll only be wasting our own resources."

"He will come back!" Kiku was terrified of a revolt if Yao did return. The King must be destroyed now!

"From where?" Ludwig sighed, "His only options are to go into hiding here – which if he did we can easily place a large reward for turning him in and, as it will already be necessary in a now hostile land, have soldiers patrolling, especially the boarders. The other option is to flee across the sea to The Abyss. With all the perils associated with it, there's no guarantee that he'll even make it there…and an even less likely chance that he'll make it back."

Somehow Ludwig's words always managed to calm Kiku. They were always so logical and calculated. In these times Kiku found himself wishing he was as subjected to his emotions as Ludwig was. Although there was someone out there who could make even this burly giant lash out, "Where is Feliciano?"

Ludwig sighed exhaustively, clasping the bridge of his nose in disappointment, "He's hiding in a barrel in the city. Some soldier started to chase him down so he waved his white flag and ran…as usual."

Kiku couldn't help but chuckle at the image of his brunet friend screaming and crying while running away. It was dishonourable…but also terribly comical. Oh well, he could learn to forgive. Well, Feliciano that is. He looked around at the soldiers, who were still fighting. "What do we do to Yao's army? There is no doubt they still hold loyalty to them."

"I'd imprison the most loyal ones and tell the others to go home."

"Go home?" Kiku wasn't sure he liked the sound of that.

"We'll pay them off." Ludwig nodded. "For most, their loyalty is for sale to anyone who will put food on their table."

Kiku looked disgusted, "That is truly shameful. They should follow their King or commit seppuku."

Ludwig looked at the Queen, "Is that what you would have done if you had lost?"

"Most certainly," Kiku stared with straight face, continuing to watch the men battle. He couldn't look Ludwig in the eye knowing what the King would say.

"You know Feliciano and I would have never have allowed that." Ludwig said with conviction.

"I know," Kiku told him softly, "And that is why I could not lose."

)()()()()(

The mess took several days to clean up. It bought Kiku time to convince (or in the eyes of those still loyal to Yao, threaten) the Clubs Council to name him King. Once the motion had passed, not without consequences to those who'd previously refused, a date was set for the coronation ceremony to make it official. It would be held the day after next.

The people of the kingdom where quiet and confused. Some tried to escape to other kingdoms, but most languished around hoping for the best. There would be no celebrating the new king…only careful observation.

In the meantime Ludwig was also scrambling to adjust his own kingdom. Without a Queen his power was in question. It was the standard rule that a King must have a Queen. If Ludwig had been the Queen he could have carried on as normal, but since only Queens could rule solo and he was a King he had to find a replacement. His thoughts immediately went to Elizabeta Hedevary who'd placed third in the Ruler's Competition. She was a tough woman who took everyone by surprise. Having been raised in a household of men seemed to have given her the edge. He sent a telegraph to her asking her to accept the position.

The coronation was lavish. Feliciano had been given the freedom to decorate the long hall to his heart's content. He did not disappoint. Lavender lilies were strung about, with vases full of the same color. A red carpet led to the platform where the golden thrones sat. The council walked towards the platform in a line, their furry purple coats trailing behind them. The head of the council carried the King's crown. Normally, the man behind, the Secondary, would be carrying the Queen's, but Mei had already been crowned, there was no need to do it again.

In addition to being crowned the two also gave themselves to each other in a tacked on wedding ceremony. Kiku wore a traditional grey kimono with a darker grey overcoat while Mei was dressed in red. In attendance stood the army of Hearts, who were handsomely rewarded with treasures from the Clubs Palace. Many of the things given away were gifts that had been given to Yao. They were not necessary anymore. Everything of Yao's was to be erased – Kiku Honda was now King.

)()()()()(

Yao sat upon the open seas, too distraught to be seasick. How could Mei have done this to him? He tried to show her love and be a good King for her…and she stabbed him in the back. Reflecting on it depressed him. Yao could feel his heart cracking, the shards falling into his stomach creating ripples of grief that echoed throughout him.

"King Yao," The General spoke up. Several days at sea had taken a toll on his once muscular physique.

The King, equally suffering in physical appearance, shook his head, "I am no King. I am a runaway."

The General did not wish to argue with him. He had to reserve his strength. They'd already lost a few good men along the way. The General was needed to keep what was left together; both physically and mentally. "We have arrived."

In the distance a wavy coast came into view. They had finally made it to the land beyond the Kingdoms…The Abyss.

* * *

Sorry, it was a bit rushed again. I may post chapter three within the next week, again, just to show that this story isn't always a mess. Haha.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

AN: I can't remember how longs it's been since I last posted a chapter...but here's another one. Hopefully it'll help pick up the interest.

Current Pairings: Jawan (Japan/Taiwan), Franaco (France/Monaco), Spamano (Spain/Romano), SwisLiech (Switzerland/Liechtenstein)

)()()()()(

Francis sat at the round table of his council meeting room. He had long gotten over the shock of the Hearts Kingdom invading the Clubs. Now he was bored and taping his pencil on the table in an effort not to fall asleep. His face was drooping into his hand, propped up by his elbow on the table.

He admitted to himself, and anyone that asked, that it was a terrible tragedy and that something must be done. He was, however, at a loss of what that "something" was.

"We received news from the Spades Kingdom that they've declared war on the Kingdom of Hearts and the usurpers of the Clubs Throne." The head of the council announced.

Francis just nodded. Vash Zwingli, his council head, was always so serious. _He's like Ludwig_, Francis thought to himself, _if I didn't know any better I'd think they were related_.

"What do you think we should do, Your Majesty?" A sweet, high pitched voice asked him. _Ah_, Francis smiled, _the wonderful voice of Elise Vogel_. She was an absolute cutie but he'd never touch her. Oh no, her eyes were glued to Vash. Francis had no intention of starting a brawl with his council head, especially when his Kingdom was full of beautiful women for the taking. In any case, Elise was a little too innocent for his liking.

He smiled back at her, "Well, it's hard to say." He really had to be careful with his decision. His kingdom may be wealthy and their army crafty, but they've proven to be hardly a match for the strict discipline of the Hearts army. If he should go to war and lose he would surely have to forfeit coveted land to the Hearts. His predecessor had worked so hard to regain land once lost to the Hearts; he didn't want to be the king responsible for losing it again.

It was important to note, however that the Spades had declared war. Francis found this little fact intriguing. Surely the King of Spades had spearheaded the declaration, being a "champion of justice" and all, but it seemed unnatural that the Queen would support the movement. Once upon a time the Kingdom of Spades was in everyone's business – the Queen's ancestors. But this Queen kept to himself and was not interested in the problems of others.

Francis leaned back in his seat, giving serious thought to his response. It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn't asked his Jack. Repositioning himself up right he looked down the table to his tanned companion, "What do you think, Antonio?"

"Well," The Jack fidgeted a bit. This decision was just as hard for him to make as it was for the king. He had a special connection to the Jack of Hearts and his older brother. Long ago his family had helped the Vargas's flee the revolting people of the Diamonds in secret, something which Francis had since pardoned him and his family for after they subjected themselves to him.

One day, retracing his family roots, Antonio found himself in the Kingdom of Hearts where he traced the living descendants of the old Vargas family. They welcomed him into their home while he stayed in the kingdom, treating him as a special guest. During that time he established a strong bond with them. Feliciano was the friendlier of the two, but Romano was robust and interesting. Antonio had made it his personal mission to tame the aggressive Hearts resident and win him over with friendship (and his favourite food, tomatoes). Neither of them had expected their relationship to develop into what it did. His mission was to befriend Romano, instead he fell in love. And Romano, always bad with expressing his feelings, fell too.

Antonio had left the table hanging for too long. He needed to give an answer, but how? How could he say yes to a war? Did he really have the courage to fight Feliciano and Romano if it came to it? "Perhaps it would be in Your Majesty's best interest to wait. We know the Spades Kingdom is planning to go to war, but that doesn't mean we have to be involved. We could make a peace treaty and declare ourselves neutral. As it stands right now our Kingdom is not in harm's way."

Vash nodded, "I agree. There is no need to bring catastrophe to the Kingdom if it is avoidable. Besides, it would compromise the position of our Joker who is also loyal to the Hearts."

Francis leaned back in his seat, contemplating the suggestion. Ah yes, the Joker, the guardian of the kingdoms. There were two, shared by two kingdoms. The Spades and the Clubs, the outer kingdoms, shared the Red Joker who could see into the future, and the Diamonds and Hearts shared the Black Joker who could see into the past. They lived on a little island beyond the kingdoms…

)()()()()(

"You mean the Island of Ruins?" The little girl with pigtails asked King Yao.

"Yes," Yao smiled at her, "Once upon a time a Grand Council used to live there with the Jokers. The Council was made up four members of each kingdom. They were once well respected and admired, but political corruption in the kingdoms saw many bad men become a part of the council. It led to infighting. The last Great War, where King Francis's predecessor regained the Diamond's lost territory, saw the final days of the Grand Council. The island was all but inhabitable…except to the Jokers."

"What happened to them?" A little boy asked, his eyes already beginning to water in anticipation for the worst.

"They disappeared in the war." Yao told him softly. "Not even I truly know what happened to them."

"Did they ever come back, Papa Yao?" Another little boy asked.

"No, my little one, they didn't. The fate of the kingdoms now relied upon the diplomacy and actions of their monarchs and Jacks as well as the visions of the Jokers."

"What happened next Papa Yao!?" The little girl raised her voice to be heard.

"Well," King Yao continued on, "King Francis decided he wouldn't go to war. His council of advisors had decided that it wasn't necessary because the Diamonds Kingdom wasn't under threat. But change was in the air…"

)()()()()(

Romano grumbled. He'd been slaving over the stove all afternoon to make a nice pasta dinner for him and his brother. But once again, Feliciano was held up at the castle with King Ludwig. _Damn King Ludwig_, Romano grumbled inwardly, "They're probably eating potatoes…pah!" He made a spitting noise to show his disgust.

He jumped at the sound of a door cracking open. ACK! Once he'd gotten over the initial shock he raced to see who it was. "Feliciano! What took you so long!?" He tried to sound as angry as possible, fishing for sympathies he believed he was owed.

"Oh," Feliciano swiped off his shoes, looking a little hurt. He had a feeling he'd be chastised for being late so he prepared himself, "I'm sorry Romano, I was talking to a pretty girl."

"Yeah right! You were probably with the King!" Romano wasn't buying Feliciano's excuse no matter how hard the other pressed that his story was true. Romano waved his hand, "Whatever, I don't care."

Feliciano took a whiff of air leaving the problematic topic behind, "Do I smell pasta?" His heart leapt with excitement. Pasta always gave him good vibes.

"Yeah," Romano kept up his aggressive stance, "But it's cold now." He was fibbing. It was lukewarm at best.

Feliciano frowned, "Aw, that's too bad. I guess we could always heat it up…" He followed his brother into the kitchen at the back of their Belgium style townhouse. Through the two square windows above the kitchen counter Feliciano could see the garden where he and his brother grew their herbs and spices. Before leaving the Clubs Kingdom after King Yao's ceremony he'd asked the former king's permission to take some home. He was thrilled when Yao agreed. However, after the war he'd neglected to take anymore. He just didn't feel right about it.

The circular table had been set for two. Feliciano pulled back the wooden chair and took his seat. A white china plate sat in front of him with a red and white checkered cloth underneath. A steel fork had been carefully set beside the plate below the tall plastic glass. Feliciano picked up the glass and waved it at his brother who carried the pot of pasta to the table.

"Hey fratello! What do you have to drink?" He waved his glass around, hoping the empty cylinder would catch his brother's eye.

Lovino was still putting on an act. He dropped the pot on the table with a loud clunk and glared at his brother, "Whaddya mean what do I have to drink? You live here too, you know! Why don't you get up and go check out the fridge." In his hand was an orange tea towel which he threw over his shoulder while turning his back, retreating to the stove to fetch the tomato sauce.

Feliciano frowned, dismayed by his brothers belligerence. After waiting for a kinder response (one Lovino refused to give him) he got up and walked towards the fridge at the end of the kitchen. Opening it, he looked around for something that would complement the spaghetti his brother made. Maybe a nice red wine would do the trick. Ooh, but he'd have to swap his plastic cup for a wine glass. He turned around to head in the direction of the glass cabinet when he noticed Romano grumpily place two wine glasses on the table. It seemed the elder of the two had come to the same conclusion. It warmed the Jack of Hearts enough to make him smile. He was quick to erase it when his brother looked up at him, not wanting to provoke his already unstable attitude.

"So you know," Feliciano walked back to his place at the table. He tucked himself into his seat placing his glass down. His brother sat down beside him without a sound, crossing one leg over the other. The younger smiled brightly, hoping he could engage his older brother in a friendly conversation, "we got a letter from Roderich today. He's settling in nicely as Kiku's new Jack."

Lovino took a fork full of spaghetti, not looking too interested. He couldn't have cared less about the changes to the Heart's Kingdom since the war ended. The only thing he wanted to know was if he would be moving up on the social ladder in the palace.

As a member of the Vargas family, Lovino was both privileged and entitled to a high ranking commission. However, he was virtually useless. King Ludwig had first placed Lovino on the council, but found that the young man and his Council Head, then Roderich, fought bitterly all the time. After that failed experiment Ludwig considered, at the advice of Feliciano, to restore the long dead position of Ace Commander, the leader of the army. Lovino was even worse at that. He knew nothing of military action and could barely hold a sword. He also consistently insulted the soldiers, leading them to file a complaint. In the end, Lovino was made "Official Commander of State Order." Of course, the position was really nothing. All Lovino did all day was wander around the castle and make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to. He usually slept in his office. But he was growing tired of not doing anything.

Twirling some spaghetti onto his fork he remembered the time Antonio had visited. Both being Jacks, he and Feliciano got along great, but Antonio made Lovino feel important too. He never left Lovino out of discussions, he always made an effort to motivate Lovino to join him and Feli on excursions and he complimented Lovino's efforts. If Antonio were here, he'd be praising Lovino's dinner instead of talking about stupid, useless trash regarding the palace…and he would've been on time too!

"There might be another war," Feliciano poked his plate, looking sad. Lovino raised a brow, wondering if that would open an opportunity for him to advance. But he also wondered who the Hearts would be fighting…it was either the Spades or the Diamonds. He hoped it wasn't the latter…he'd hate to have to fight Antonio.

Feliciano answered his prayers, "The Spades declared war on us." He paused for a minute, remembering the telegraph they'd sent, "They called Kiku a usurper and us, evil."

Lovino shrugged, "Well, he kind of is…but who the hell cares what the Spades have to say anyway?"

Feliciano looked up, almost like was going to cry, "But Kiku's my friend! He's not a bad person! Neither is Ludwig!"

"Then why," Lovino crossed his arms in vexation, "did he try to kill the Club's king? Because of a girl? That's it? That's pathetic." He could see how troubled Feliciano was. The younger was horrified and saddened by his brother's opinion. Lovino shrugged, "But whatever. I don't care…just as long as it doesn't affect me in the wrong way."

They sat quietly, eating their dinner. Neither of them had anything else to say. When they were just about finished Lovino wondered aloud about the Diamonds Kingdom. "Will they stay neutral?"

"Ludwig isn't sure," Feliciano answered the question, as if he was supposed to. He was too nervous to look at his brother, "He thinks that the Diamonds might join with the Spades…if it came to that we'd be fighting an east vs. west war. Ludwig says he wants to reinforce his army on the western side in case he has to invade the Diamonds."

Lovino was slightly disturbed by this prospect. Invade the Diamonds? That terrible feeling he'd had earlier was creeping back up on him. If this was true…if Ludwig was prepared to do to the Diamonds what he did to the Clubs then…Antonio had to be warned!

When all the dishes were put away and Feliciano had retired to his room, Lovino put pen to paper, writing to his companion across the border. It was not unusual for him to send mail to the Diamonds kingdom. He was also good friends with Lady Ada and her brother William, who were both members of the Council of Diamonds.

After Antonio's visit he'd invited Feliciano and Lovino to visit him. They both were excited and had an enjoyable time seeing the Kingdom. Feliciano had fallen in love with the beauty of the Kingdom. Its streets were covered in a golden yellow; the chateaus were large and elegant and the city centre had a marvelous white marble fountain covered in neatly carved sculptures. Lovino loved the food and pretty women. One of those pretty ladies was Ada. She was simply adorable with her short, bobbed brown hair and green hairband that matched her eyes. She was a long-time friend of Antonio's. He had tried to ask her out on a date (which deeply upset Antonio for a variety of reasons) and she obliged. However, it was only a friendly occasion. She had little interest in being anything more.

Scribbling his first line, Lovino let the information he perceived to be true pour out of him. He hoped it would reach Antonio before it was too late.

)()()()()(

Antonio laughed entering his office. He waved goodbye to his friend, Ada, who was leaving for the day. She and her brother, the forever ridged and smoking-a-pipe William, were going to dinner together. He wished he could have gone too but he still had some official state business to take care of. One of which was the King's mail.

He'd excitedly opened most of it earlier, being a lover of receiving mail, but still had to get to some of his own. Unfortunately, the King's needs came before the Jack's. There were but three for him. Two of which, he was sure, were some sort of bills. What a pity. But the last one was handwritten.

"From Lovi?" His grin stretched back to his ears. He hadn't heard from his beloved in such a long time. Okay, maybe not a terribly long time, but to Antonio not hearing from Lovino in almost a month was a long time.

With his heart beating in anticipation he ripped open the letter and began to read it. Every word gave him the melancholies and his nerves were on high alert. Was all this true? Was King Ludwig planning to invade the Kingdom of Diamonds? If this was true he had an obligation to inform King Francis. Sighing he placed the letter down. This would surely tip Francis over the edge. There was almost no stopping it now. The Diamonds would join the Spades in war.

Lifting himself sluggishly from his seat, Antonio headed into the private quarters of the palace where the King, his mistresses and the Queen, who was supposed to be his wife, lived.

As he walked slowly to the King's chambers, trying to decide what he should say he bumped into the Queen. He looked at her, slightly shocked to see her here. She was usually at the casino tripling her own finances.

"Uh…Charlotte…I mean, milady…." He stumbled over his words.

"Yes?" She looked at him impatiently, as if he was an obstacle in her way. His gibberish attempt at a coherent sentence prompted her to tell him straight up, "If you're looking for the King he's in his boudoir."

"Oh, I see." Antonio nodded graciously. He stepped aside to allow her to pass before quickly moving down the halls to escape the air of tension.

The Jack was rather surprised. The Queen looked rather rushed in comparison to her normal calm behaviour. She was clever and smart but constantly worried about the state of the Kingdom. That was why Francis had petitioned to have her made Queen in the first place. Her incredible ability to stabilize budgets made her an ideal partner. Like Francis, she valued pride and fashion but in almost all other aspects she balanced him nicely. Of course, the one area that needed improvement in their marriage was the relationship itself. They were rarely, if ever, intimate. Francis was too busy playing with his mistresses, something that upset the Queen who longed for love and order in their relationship. However, she made things difficult being the gambler that she was. When King Francis did make the effort to become interested in her, she challenged him to a series of games…none of which he could ever win. It frustrated him to the point where he barely spoke to her to avoid her games.

Antonio knocked on the door of his King's bedroom chamber, hoping he was alone. He was disappointed to find that he wasn't. No wonder the Queen was in hast. King Francis peeked out the door, but the laughter from behind the walls was all the evidence Antonio needed. The giggling shrieks of young ladies told him they were having quite the naughty party.

"Um, Your Majesty," Antonio looked solemnly sorry for interrupting but continued, "I have urgent news."

King Francis frowned. He knew that if the news was not crucial to the wellbeing of the King or Kingdom Antonio would not have come to his private quarters unless invited for a drink – which did happen on occasion. The shoulder length blond king squeezed himself out of the door way, leaving the girls behind. "We'll go to my office."

They walked in silence down the corridor to the next room where King Francis had his own private office. He hardly ever used it, except to nap and stamp new laws into existence. He pushed the door wide open and walked to his desk, knowing that Antonio would close it for him. Francis sat down, already looking gloomy, and awaited the news.

"Your Majesty," Antonio closed in on the desk after ensuring the door was shut tightly. He kept his voice down as much as possible lest there be eavesdroppers. Surely the girls back in the room next door would be keen to find out what was keeping their King. "I received a letter from my dear friend Lovino." He quickly reminded the king of his friend from the land of Hearts and the visitation of him and his brother.

"And…?" Francis tapped the desk impatiently. Antonio could see in his eyes that the handsome man was nervous. It was written in his eyes.

Antonio hesitated, wondering how he could put the possible fate of the Kingdom of Diamonds delicately. "Well," He struggled to speak.

"Just spit it out, Antonio." Francis griped at him. The faster he knew, the faster he could react. Whatever that letter said would help him decide his next plan of action.

Antonio dropped his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty." There was no more time to waste. "I have been informed that King Ludwig plans to attack the Kingdom of Diamonds."

"What?" Francis's eyes shot open. Was he really hearing this? A part of him always suspected that Ludwig would come after him and his kingdom after they'd humiliated his predecessors, but he was still shocked to hear that it was becoming a reality. He sighed. There was only one real option now.

Standing up tall, the king spoke clearly, "Dismiss the ladies from my room. I have to begin packing immediately."

"Does this mean…?" Antonio blinked at the king's sudden motivation.

"Yes," King Francis smiled at him, "I'm going to the Kingdom of Spades to form an alliance. Together we should be powerful enough to stop King Ludwig and the Kingdom of Hearts."

* * *

Charlotte/Monaco named after Charles III, Prince of Monaco who founded Monte Casino and Monte Carlo. Also, in case it wasn't clear enough Ada is Belgium and William is the Netherlands.

In the next chapter you FINALLY get to see who the monarchs of Spades are! Hurray!

Lastly, please review! If you're having trouble understanding something shoot me a question! I'd be more than happy to answer.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

A/N: Started a second job...hopefully it won't interrupt my writing too badly. Also, my apologies for taking so long to update.

Current Pairings: Jawan (Japan/Taiwan), Franaco (France/Monaco), Spamano (Spain/Romano), SwisLiech (Switzerland/Liechtenstein), USUK (America/England)

)()()()()(

The carriage carrying King Francis rattled along the streets of Londington, the capital of the Kingdom of Spades. There were two major districts: the modern, hi-tech section where tall skyscrapers housed corporations and stock brokers gambled their money on investments and the more classic area, still covered in cobble stones lined with churches. Francis preferred to travel along the latter. He enjoyed its historic feel.

The capital was at the southern tip, surrounded by the pristine waters of the bay. The weather was nice and hot with the sun shining down on the people as they went about their business; it was a great summer day. Francis reminded himself to go to the beach before he left. He'd curse himself if he wasn't able to dazzle at least one Spade citizen before he left; preferably a female, of course.

As the carriage pulled King Francis up the hill the fortress castle came in view. Francis couldn't understand why Spades monarchs never bothered to tear it down and build a castle that would more appropriately fit the atmosphere. It was a silver grey colour, but looked rather dull and damp compared to its luscious green surroundings. At least that's what Francis thought. Others might have marvelled at its medieval timelessness.

Passing him by were little electric cars. The Spades kingdom took pride in its advanced technology. The Diamonds were pretty advanced too – they had marvelled the continent with their inventions of photo and video cameras. In exchange for cars they sold movie making equipment, something the King of Spades was grateful for. He was a big fan of movies and loved to, when time permitted, make his own.

Francis stared out the window. His white and golden trimmed carriage caught a lot of interest amongst the crowded streets. People were staring, wondering who was visiting. Most probably already knew since Francis was famous for travelling in his carriage. Perhaps they were trying to catch a glimpse of him? He noticed a few pretty women in the mob but he knew a long term relationship with any of them was impossible. It seemed all the women of the Spades kingdom were headstrong. He already had the Queen of Diamonds to deal with, he didn't need another headache.

Up, up, up, to the top of the hill the carriage sailed. The road to the peak was made of fine, small stones. The base of the hill to the top was nothing but greenery. Francis enjoyed listening to the chirping of the birds as they flew from one tree to another. It felt enchanted.

King Francis was sure the Queen was responsible for the maintenance of the entrance. It was rumoured he was a believer in spirits and other silly folklore stories. Francis had once been told by a servant of the Spades monarch that the Queen spent time in the garden speaking to fairies and unicorns. He so badly wanted to confront the Queen about it and laugh, but now was certainly not the time.

Two giant wooden doors, which looking up, felt to be nearly thirty feet tall were cranked open slowly, revealing the dirt-filled court inside. It took Francis by surprise. Last time he'd been here it looked more pleasant than this with a stone fountain in the middle and stone tiles placed neatly all around. He shrugged it off figuring they were redecorating.

The carriage stopped in front of the wide, grey brick stairs leading to the heavy wooden doors of the castle. The driver hopped off his perch, tightly wrapping the reigns around the dark metal pole in front of the caste to keep the horses from straying. He proceeded to open the carriage door to let King Francis out followed by Antonio who accompanied him. As the King stepped onto the platform of his cage he peered out to see if anyone was awaiting his arrive. He found only a single butler.

"How rude," Francis frowned, muttering to himself. Touching the ground he continued to rant, "I announced that I'd be visiting on official state business and _this_ is what they welcome me with? The nerve..." He strolled up the stairs, barely acknowledging the butler who stood at attention, after opening the door for him.

The foyer was barely lit and felt like an empty church. Francis shuddered, "It's so dreary in here."

"I'm sure the King and Queen have been very busy," Antonio smiled at him, trying to brush off any hostilities that might arise from this lack of hospitality by the Spades, "After all they are preparing for war."

"I guess," Francis shrugged, "But they still should have put some effort into welcoming me. I am a fellow king, in case they forgot." He looked around at the dark red tapestries that lined the walls and a long row carpet of the same color that led further into the castle and up a set of stairs to the second floor.

"Your Majesty," Francis and Antonio were slightly startled by the deep voice of the butler who had let them in. They turned around to find him bowing, "My apologies that the King and Queen were not here to greet you. They are currently in a meeting with their Privy Council. As soon as they have concluded I will inform you."

"Pffft," Francis waved him off, "As if I care what they're doing." He began walking up the stairs without invitation. He'd been to the castle many times before and knew his way around well enough to know where he intended to go. If King Alfred and Queen Arthur thought they were going to put him off to the side they had another thing coming.

"Ah! Y-Your Majesty!" Antonio chased after his king. Having known Francis for a long time he knew exactly what the brash man was up to, "Please, let's wait until they're done. I'm sure whatever they're discussing with the council is very important. If it wasn't surely they would have postponed the meeting until after we arrived."

King Francis wasn't in the mood to be reasoned with. He'd resolved with himself that those two had better beg for his forgiveness or he'd start a war with _them_! Marching imperatively down the hall of the second floor to the Privy Council room in the third quadrant of the castle he passed a line of portraits portraying past Kings and Queens of the Spades. Not only was a descendant of the Vargas family displayed there, but an old friend of Francis's. The last king had been a strong ally to him. Francis was still deeply affected by his loss and had many suspicions regarding what happened. A lot of people did.

He reached the room where chatty voices could be heard behind a solid door. Not hesitating he pushed it open despite Antonio's plea for him to be respectful of their privacy. The King was met with stunned silence from the privy members and the monarchs.

"What in the Devil is this!?" The Queen stood up; pounding his palms on the desk. Queen Arthur was shorter than Francis (though taller than Queen Charlotte) with messy blond hair and a small blue top hat which sat crooked on his head. His frock was equally blue, the official colour of the kingdom, with the end trailing down to the back of his knees. The expression on his face was annoyance and that of someone who was unhappy and unimpressed with the scenario.

"This," Francis bit back, "Is the King you rudely left standing around with no one to give him a proper greeting." Francis and Arthur had a long history of aggressive stand-offs. They bickered and debated constantly with each other. Even when they agreed on something they argued about it. As long as these two remained monarchs of their respective kingdoms the Spades and Diamonds would always live in tension.

Arthur crossed his arms, "I sent William to welcome you. Or is my best and most loyal butler not good enough for your…refined tastes? Would you rather I greet you with a parade of dolled-up women and wine caskets?"

Francis smirked, "Oh Arthur, you know me too well." He didn't care for the Queen's sly comment but he was here on business. He'd school the Queen in respect another day.

Sitting in the only unoccupied chair across from the Queen, Francis crossed his arms, swivelling as he examined those present in the room. "So," He cupped his chin mischievously, "What is so important that you must discuss it while I linger downstairs all alone?"

"You're not alone, you ninny!" Arthur pointed at Antonio and a nervous William who had followed unnoticed upstairs. "Go back downstairs and wait until we're done. This is Spade business! It does not concern you!"

"If it's about the war then it does." Francis responded quickly, a playful twinkle in his eye.

The Queen hesitated, trying to understand what his neighbouring monarch meant. Is this what Francis came for? Hadn't he declared neutrality? That was the message the Diamond's Council had sent out. Surely he wasn't going to join the fight. The eastern part of his kingdom would face the fires of the front line. It was risky.

Arthur was about to respond when a boisterous laugh echoed throughout the room. He looked down the table to find his King terribly amused with the confrontation. Frowning, the Queen asked, "What on earth is so funny to you, Alfred?"

The blond haired king shrugged, "It's just you guys. You guys are always like this." He nodded as if hit by some sort of philosophical revelation, "I think King Francis should stay. I've got a feeling he's brought us good news."

Francis smirked, "When did you develop a good intuition? You've never had one before."

Alfred crossed his arms and pouted like a wounded child, "My instincts are good." He recovered quickly with a smile, "Besides, what other reason would you have to come here in a hurry? Proposing some kind of peace treaty would be useless. I think you know the Spades better than that. If someone commits a crime they will be punished by the full extent of the law!"

Francis leaned back in his chair. The smile on his face showed he expected Alfred's response and pitied his naivety. Sighing he asked, "Whose law exactly?" Opening his eyes he calmly stared down the novice King, "You can't actually believe that the law of the Spades holds any jurisdiction in another kingdom."

Alfred frowned. He hadn't actually thought of that. Of course he _knew_ that, but…well…he was sure it would all work out in the end. He was a hero after all and he was doing this for freedom! Of course his actions were justified.

"So," Arthur sat back down in his seat. He didn't approve of Francis's presence in his national meeting but would deal with it. Crossing his arms he continued, "What exactly brings you to our kingdom, Francis?"

"Well you see," Francis looked around for a moment. One would think he was checking to make sure there were no spies amongst the crowd, but he was actually hoping someone would bring him a drink. Giving up on this he continued, "My Jack, Antonio," He gestured to the tanned brunette still standing at the door, "Brought forth information regarding the activities of the Kingdom of Hearts."

"Oh really?" Arthur's brow creased in curiosity.

King Alfred was also incredibly interested. Leaning in with a giant grin on his face he asked excitedly, "So what did you hear?"

"Well you see," Francis was not as happy to reveal all that he had learnt, "It seems King Ludwig has an eye for more than just the Clubs."

Queen Arthur was taken aback, looking terribly uncomfortable. He quickly recomposed himself, "I'm sorry, come again?"

"I said," Francis decided to be more frank, "His ambitions go beyond controlling the throne of the Clubs. He also wants my Kingdom of Diamonds."

Arthur frowned, fearing the plot would extend to his own kingdom. He did however, need to be cautious. King Francis had a tendency to get overworked over tedious things. Crossing one leg over the other he asked, "What proof do you have of this?"

Francis was about to speak when Antonio found it appropriate to interrupt. He apologized to them both before informing the Queen, "I have a confident in the Kingdom of Hearts, he's a dear friend and he's the one who wrote to me warning me of the imminent attack."

"I see," The Queen said, reflecting on this news, "May I see the letter?"

Antonio reached into his messenger bag and retrieved the parcel for the Queen to inspect. Arthur nodded as he sped through it. It looked genuine enough to him. He nodded to Alfred to indicate he believe it to be authentic.

Alfred instantly took the hint and looked at Francis, "So I guess that means you're on our side now."

The King of Diamonds shrugged, his yellow and orange getup standing out amongst the sea of blue clothing, "I really don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Well," Arthur was thinking hard, "I suppose we could use the assistance. As powerful and technologically advanced as our army is…Ludwig's army is larger and more disciplined. It will certainly be a difficult fight."

"Yeah," Alfred wasn't totally convinced, "But even without Francis we would've won."

To this, the King of Diamonds was vexed, "Excuse me? I hope you are not suggesting that my contribution will be worthless."

Alfred waved his hands in defence, his blue eyes blinking in stun, "No, no, that's not what I meant. It's just that I'm confident that the Spades kingdom is powerful enough to defeat King Ludwig and the Hearts army all on its own. Surely your aid as our backup will have its value."

Francis was growing more irritated, "Back up?"

Arthur sighed. He'd long be in the world of diplomacy, unlike his King, and knew how to better handle both the situation and Francis. He quickly intervened, "What he means is your support and military aid as our partner and ally is of great significance in our goal to defeat King Ludwig and regain the Throne of the Clubs."

Unfortunately, Francis had long been in the world of diplomacy and knew Arthur well too. He grunted knowing the Queen was hiding his true thoughts. In any case, he'd gotten what he came for. "So, you'll forge an alliance with the Kingdom of Diamonds then?"

"It would be in our interest," Arthur told him, "As well as yours."

Antonio, who had remained quiet since he'd informed the council of his news, tacked on, "Shouldn't your Jack be present to discuss and confirm the alliance treaty?"

"You mean Ivan?" Alfred blinked. He thought for a moment as to where his Jack was, having lost track of him this morning but quickly remembered, "Oh, he's in his laboratory doing stuff. I don't know what he's doing though. He never tells me."

"I'm afraid he's unavailable." Arthur dismissed his Jack. "We'll inform him as soon as possible. We'll then outline the details of our alliance and sign it, after which you can formally make your declaration of war on the Kingdom of Hearts. I'd suggest sending word to your castle as soon as possible so they can fortify your eastern border."

"Yes," Antonio nodded, "We will do that immediately." He looked to Francis, hoping the King would take the hint that it was time to leave the room. Francis did not approve but subjugated to Antonio's silent wish anyway. He had gotten what he wanted. Maybe now was a good time to go to the beach…since the King and Queen of Spades were so keen on their privacy.

Standing up he bid them adieu before leaving the room and promising to return when they are ready to negotiate the terms of their alliance and battle strategies. With that he followed Antonio out of the room and back towards the main entrance where servants were carrying his goods into the castle for his three day stay.

)()()()()(

Arthur sighed heavily, plopping himself onto the bed he and the King shared. The Kingdom of Spades had always been the oddball kingdom when it came to the relationship between the King and Queen. While it was customary for the Queen to choose the King they did not always have to be married. This was the case for Alfred and Arthur, though the latter wished he could have said otherwise. When Arthur had chosen Alfred after the death of the last king he had intended they marry but Alfred opposed the idea.

King Alfred…he could only be described as a valiant, free eagle soaring above the rest of mankind. Arthur remembered when he had first met the young man. Alfred was charismatic and ambitious. It was that drive for success and endless optimism that intrigued Arthur. When Alfred was named king it was scandalous. Never before had an average Joe citizen risen to the second highest position possible, after the Queen. It had a lot of people talking. And not just in the Kingdom of Spades, but in other Kingdoms too. It didn't help Arthur's reputation, which was already badly damaged from rumours that he'd poisoned the last king.

It was shortly before the death of the previous king that Alfred had made his grand entrance. He was determined to revive the position of Ace in the kingdom and lead the country's army. He'd proven, despite his seemingly low intelligence, to have a gift for warfare and mathematics. He wasn't strategic but had a way of making the army ten times more powerful than it had been before. Over the last few years he'd been responsible for the rebuilding of the Spades army, which had been depleted and lacking since the last Great War.

When Arthur proposed the idea of a union Alfred was thrilled at the idea of being King. He rambled on for days how it was a part of his great destiny to be the King of Spades. Arthur had once upon a time believed in destiny but the last king had shaken that idea to crumbs. Seeing how proud and enthusiastic Alfred was renewed that hope. He wanted to hold onto it as long as possible. However, when Alfred struck down the idea of marriage feeling it was unnecessary and preferring to be a bachelor as to have greater mobility he felt a sting of hurt.

Alfred had since come around in the few years they'd been co-rulers. Arthur had engaged him in a relationship but had promised to keep marriage out of it – for now. The Queen wished for more, but was content with what they had now. He enjoyed the small, intimate moments of their relationship – the quiet talks in bed, the little kisses; they'd even shared a bath once!

He sat on the bed eagerly awaiting his King. There was a mirror opposite of him and he took the opportunity to check his image, making sure he was presentable. He fixed his hat, thinking it was dropping too low, and dusted himself off. He also fixed the ruffles coming out of his sleeves – they looked too bunched at the back. While doing so Alfred walked in, startling Arthur.

"Oh, Alfred," Arthur straightened up where he sat. He pretended to not be bothered and carried on with small talk, "Can you believe the nerve of Francis to just walk into our council meeting like that?"

"Yeah well," Alfred peeled his dark blue jacket off and tossed it on the bed beside Arthur, "Ivan wasn't any more polite by skipping it." He frowned at his Queen, "I honestly don't know why you let him get away with that."

"He's very busy," Arthur mimicked the King's facial expression as if trying to gain some sympathy for his Jack. The tall bleach blond wasn't just the Jack; he was also Arthur's personal apothecary. He had already obtained permission not to attend the meeting, insisting he was doing personal work for the Queen.

Alfred wasn't impressed, "And so are we. We're preparing for war." He walked over to the mirror to observe himself as he undid the cuff of his shirt, "He'd better be available later for the signing of the treaty with the Diamonds. It would look bad on our part if he didn't."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Of course, because you're all about the show, aren't you? If it doesn't razzle and dazzle it's not good enough for you. I guess you and King Francis really do have some things in common."

The King looked back at the Queen and blinked innocently before a wicked idea crossed his mind. It made him grin mischievously. He walked over the Queen, who watched him, keeping still. Alfred lent over him, forcing his back onto the comforter. Pulling Arthur's hands tightly above his head he maintained his playfully crooked smile, "But that's why you chose me to be King. So that everyone would look at the Spades..."

Arthur blushed forcing down a gulp. He could feel the temperature of his body heating up underneath his king. Despite considering himself to be the more dominant of the two, Arthur found it almost irresistible to lean back and let Alfred lead. Especially in moments like this. After an afternoon of dealing with boring politics and Francis he was keen for something more emotional.

The Queen's heart beat faster and faster as Alfred brought his lips closer to Arthur's. He was mere inches away; Arthur could almost feel him…when…

"Oh, I'm sorry," A pleasantly calm voice echoed inside their chambers. They both turned to see Ivan standing at the door, one hand placed over the other in front of him in a humble manner, "I see that you are busy. I'll come back later."

Alfred leaned back up, which left the Queen disappointed and cold, "No, no, it's fine. It's about time you showed up anyway."

Ivan and Alfred had never gotten along. They'd always expressed their suspicions of each other to the Queen who wished they'd see eye to eye at least once in a while. It was always troublesome when the Jack and the King were in disunion. The past King had caused trouble regarding Ivan as well. Even so, the Queen refused to believe there was anything wrong with his Jack. The man, though slightly unsocial was always polite to the guests who visited.

"Well," Ivan continued to smile politely, though with a hint of spite in his voice, "We all have our important projects that steal us away from reality." As if to purposely nudge the king the wrong way he added, "How is your plan to transform the castle into a pyramid going?"

Alfred laughed deeply, fighting the urge to whip something at the Jack, "It's called a talus and it's not a pyramid."

The King of Spades wanted to remodel the castle into something more sturdy. The structure he had in mind was a talus. Its appearance was that of a pyramid and a castle mashed together; a tank of stone. It was earthquake proof and could easily stand against any army the Hearts could conjure up. Boxed machicolations poked out from the top of the castle. They were meant to scare away the invading army by subjecting them to dropping waterfalls of boiling water and oil.

Arthur did not like the idea of his castle being tampered with but couldn't muster the strength to tell Alfred no. One of these days he would have to kill the project, preferably before Alfred blew a hole in their home. He would have to do it gently, Alfred would be devastated.

But there was a more urgent problem to deal with. Arthur spoke up to extinguish the fire building between the King and the Jack, "Shall we go to the private study now? I'm sure Francis is growing frustrated with our lack of a presentable treaty. He'll want to sign it and be on his way." Arthur could tell by the lack of goods Francis brought with him that he was not here for leisure. Normally when the King of Diamonds visited he brought his entire household along. Unbeknownst to him however, Francis had since left for the beach and was currently wading in and out of shops spending his money much to Antonio's dismay.

The Jack agreed and led the way to the room next door where Arthur's private office was. It was filled to the top with books on redwood shelves. One window overlooked the back court of the castle, where a wooden swing with white rope hung from an oak tree. Arthur's desk was neat and tidy with a stack of papers off to the corner. A chunky white box sat on the other side; another one of Alfred's complex ideas. Along with being great at mathematics, the King was also keen on technology. The box was electrically power and could store mountains of information inside of it at the click of a button. For Arthur it was certainly one of the more impressive ideas that Alfred had come up with.

The Queen sat down at his desk, taking a short moment to lovingly admire the gift his King had given him before pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen from his drawer. He placed it on the table and stared at the two other men present in the room who sat down in uniform on the other side. "Well now," He stared at the official letterhead on the paper, "let's begin."

They discussed the premise of the treaty adding details as they went along. It was evident that if Francis was going to ally himself with the Spades, then the Spades had a duty to help strengthen the Diamond's boarder with the Hearts. "We'll have to send them military aid." Arthur confirmed.

"In return," Alfred piped up, "Let's ask for a permanent base!"

The Queen raised a brow. Alfred didn't really believe Francis would agree to that, did he? A permanent military base run by the Spades in the Kingdom of Diamonds? No way. Francis would kill that idea immediately. However, "A temporary one would be better." Arthur told him. "We'll set it up during the war and keep it manned until five years after the war as to discourage any attacks against Francis's kingdom afterwards." He nodded at his own idea, "I'm sure Francis would agree to that."

"And what about military command?" Asked Ivan. "Will the Diamond's retain complete control over their own army or will we merge."

"I expect Francis will want to retain control over his own army," Arthur answered, "But we should encourage the passage of information between the commanding officers of both kingdoms." He glanced over both Alfred and Ivan as he spoke, "We should hold regular meetings with the Diamond's to keep both sides up to date on progress. I would like to see some joint missions. Depending on the type of mission the best officer should lead, regardless of what kingdom he is from."

"Pfffffft," The King of Spades rolled his eyes, "Everyone knows the Spades have the better military leaders in everything."

"That's easy for us to say," Arthur chided him as nonchalantly as he could, "But not so easy for Francis to accept."

Once their proposal was in place they called for Francis to return to the castle. Twenty minutes later he joined them in the meeting hall; the same one he had invaded earlier that day. Sitting opposite of the Spades leaders, with Antonio at his side, he read over the offered treatise. He nodded at the parts he could agree to, frowned at the parts he was unsure of, and narrowed his eyes at the ones that were unacceptable to him.

As Arthur had predicted, Francis was willing to agree to the temporary military base. However, he changed the span of occupancy from five years down to three. A clause was added whereby if further use was necessarily an extension would be hammer out by the reigning monarchs. Alfred was disappointed yet again, but Arthur accepted it willingly. However, Francis threw out an idea that shocked even the Queen.

"I will let the Spades army take control," He gave in with a serious look, "But I want Vash and Elise to take the crown of the Clubs."

"What?" Arthur raised a brow. He hadn't actually thought of what would happen after Queen Mei of the Clubs and the imposter King Kiku were dethroned.

"Yes," Francis nodded, "If you'll allow it…" he looked directly at Alfred this time, "I'll allow you to place another temporary base there."

"In the Clubs too!?" Alfred was excited now. However, when he realized this too was temporary he was disappointed. "Only a temp though?"

"Knowing Vash he'll probably declare the zone neutral." Francis told him. "He'd probably be concerned that a Spades base in the kingdom will make him an automatic ally to the Spades."

Arthur had to think about that. On the one hand he had been hoping that the Clubs Grand Council would take charge for a while before choosing the next monarchs. But being next door to the Hearts could make them vulnerable. Vash, despite how strictly impersonal he was in personality, was very strong in his own right. He was also good with finances – which was why the Diamond's kingdom was the wealthiest of the bunch. It might actually be a good course for the Clubs. After not one, but two wars it would be in great need of serious repair.

But even still…

"I cannot agree to that just yet," Arthur told his neighbouring King with a straight face, "I will however, be sure to give you an answer before the end of the war."

They signed the treaty, as is, and shook hands to make it official. The next morning Francis left the Kingdom of Spades to prepare for the attack on the Hearts.


End file.
